Huge losses: spring frosts destroyed 90% of peach crop in Odesa region
27 July 2025 02:14
Green Technology Ltd, a company specializing in peach and grape growing in Odesa region, has announced the catastrophic consequences of spring return frosts.
About 90% of the peach crop was destroyed, causing millions in losses and calling into question the economic viability of the season, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports, citing EastFruit.
According to the company’s director, Dmytro Ostapenko, the situation was exacerbated by prolonged night frosts that lasted from April 7 to 13. During the coldest night, the temperature in the orchard reached -6.6 °C, which was fatal for the peach flowers, which were in full bloom.
“Actually, the orchard was in great shape. Early April is the peak of flowering, so the impact of low temperatures was devastating. We lost about 120 tons of produce,” comments Dmytro Ostapenko. The company’s losses amounted to approximately UAH 7.2 million in terms of products alone. But this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Despite the lack of a harvest, all the planned work in the garden had to be done: pruning, treatment with protective agents, watering, fertilizing – all of this turned into net losses. The company estimates that the VAT alone, which will not be paid to the state budget, is at least UAH 1.2 million. This is without taking into account income tax, unified social tax and other payments.
“Financially, this is a disaster not only for us, but also for the state. We do not have access to official statistics for the country, but it is obvious that the scale of losses is enormous,” Ostapenko added.
He also noted that the company did not ask the authorities to record the losses or provide compensation. The reason is the lack of trust in the effectiveness of government mechanisms and the need to focus on preserving what is left.
“I have no experience in dealing with government agencies. It takes time and nerves. I’d rather use this resource to preserve the garden and prepare for the next season,” the manager concludes.
